Equal opportunity and fairness when advertising a job!

What is your take on this
A new TA post has been created within the school- 4 days in nursery but with SEN knowledge
A teacher in nursery says they know someone who fits the bill and has just left their job.
However Human resources says that as its a new post it should be advertised if only internally. So advert has been placed on staffroom wall and the advert sent to the friend of the teacher.
If the post is meant to be internal then surely it should only be open to staff who work in the school if an external candidate can apply then surely it needs to be advertised externally. Or does it? Any ideas?
Thanks

It sounds a quick fix- take someone from another school coming to the end of a contract who you are assured can do the job. If 1:1/group intervention TA support you know this will be someone who has the right experience and will not need training. It stops that person being made redundant in another school and keeps all that expertise in schools. I always ask fellow Heads if they have a TA coming to the end of a contract if I need a person with specific skills. Good plan. Not discriminatory towards anyone.

However Human resources says that as its a new post it should be advertised if only internally.

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I find this confusing - surely if it's only advertised internally only people who are already employed by the school would see it?
How does that give you much chance of getting applicants - who would apply?
Legally, you do not have to advertise at all and (if you like) can give it to the first person who walks through the door who you ask 'Fancy being a TA, if your references and CRB are OK?' LA personnel often talk as ifwhat they say is God's holy law when in fact there's no legal basis to their 'advice' on many occasions.

Thanks Middlemarch
You state 'I find this confusing - surely if it's only advertised internally only people who are already employed by the school would see it?'
Exactly. But what has happened is that a friend of a member of staff has applied for this 'internal post'. Therefore if one external candidate applies for this 'internal' post shouldn't it, in fairness and openness, be opened to others. Surely it should be one or the other but not for' internal candidates and candidates who have a friend at the school or happen to hear about it on the grapevine'. This is a &pound;20000 a year post with vulnerable children surely it's all a bit slapdash.

You also state
Legally, you do not have to advertise at all and (if you like) can give it to the first person who walks through the door who you ask 'Fancy being a TA, if your references and CRB are OK?'
But why not make the whole thing transparent. After all if you did this on a regular basis how could you demonstrate that you had adhered to any equal opps policy. 'Yes our staff are all white but they were the ones lucky enough to be passing the door at the time. Honest we are not racist just random'
Surely it goes against all the principles of safe recruitment